It was not mere happenstance that the concept of public journalism in the Philippines was introduced to local communities to help them understand the impact of the news on their lives and how they can actively participate in developing or building the news agenda.

Public journalism posits that citizen participation in governance and public life should be encouraged by providing members of the community with information that would help them make decision in a democratic, self-governing social structure. As an experiment, public journalism offers opportunities for public discussion and debate over what community issue should get top priority and how these can be addressed.

CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITIES is a map for journalists wishing to expand their coverage, add depth to their news perspective, and begin to write the kind of stories that could help transform communities into self-determining ones. The sourcebook also presents some pretty good arguments, through six cases, why public journalism deserves to be undertaken and how it has been helping journalists reconnect with their communities.

This book hopefully will encourage journalists, and not only those in the communities, to begin to look at their craft a little more differently; to hold on the basics while adding the elements of stewardship and humanity to writing their stories.